


Magnetic Properties of Orange Fleece

by popkin16



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: First Time, M/M, Romance, Silly John Sheppard, orange fleece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:39:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1970988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/popkin16/pseuds/popkin16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atlantis' return to the Pegasus Galaxy lands them on a cold planet. Rodney brings out the fleece. John is captivated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magnetic Properties of Orange Fleece

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this fic at 11:58pm. So technically it was written on the last day of the fest :P Written in something like 3 hours, unbeta'd.

"I'm never going to feel warm again," Rodney complained, settling in the seat next to John's in the conference room. He set his laptop gently on the table and pulled the sleeves of his orange fleece down over his hands, curling his fingers around the edge. John fought back the urge to reach out and slide his hand from Rodney's shoulder to his wrist; the fleece looked as warm and soft as he remembered. Instead, he hunched further into his own jacket, wrapping his arms around himself.  
  
The planet the city had settled upon its return to the Pegasus galaxy had short, intense winters. Keeping the city truly heated was too much of a power drain, so it had been recommended that everyone layer up. Couples were sharing beds as a means to pile on the blankets, and John had given some idle thought to finding a bed buddy of his own, if only to sleep somewhere warm. John didn't relish the idea of sharing the bed with someone he barely knew, however.  
  
John shot a glance at Rodney. He was focused completely on his computer screen, hair wild, nose beginning to turn pink from the cold. Rodney was sleeping alone these days too, and though he hadn't said anything, he had definitely looked longing when watching Ronon and Amelia exit Ronon's quarters, looking warm and well-rested.  
  
John once again thought of the Pegasus euphemism "sharing blankets". He looked away. He and Rodney were doing none of that, in any way.  
  
"I see you've found your old fleece," John commented, pulling his own laptop close and opening minesweeper.  
  
"Hmm, yes, well," Rodney said absently, "the weather certainly warranted it."  
  
"Thought you left it on Earth," John said.  
  
Rodney looked over at him, blinking fuzzily. It always took him a moment to come back to reality when he was deeply into something. John found it cute but would never, ever say so.  
  
"I tried to be prepared for any climate we may find ourselves subjected to once stepping through the gate. The fleece was one of the warmest things I owned, was soft enough not to irritate my skin, and fit well enough that it didn't get in the way when I was working."  
  
John mmm'd. Rodney went back to his laptop, though now and then he would pause in his typing to look over at John. John pretended not to notice and played through seven minesweeper games before Woolsey swept through the doors, looking slightly rumpled in a wrinkled, ugly sweater.  
  
At Ronon's grin and John's eyebrow, Woolsey confessed, "An old gift from my ex-wife," and started the meeting before any further comments could be made. It was a typical early-morning meeting where the senior staff kept each other apprised of what was going on around the city. It was difficult to stay focused with Rodney sitting next to him in the orange fleece, which John had a private fondness for.  
  
Part of John's fondness was related to Rodney wearing the fleece when they first met, when John's life went sideways, when he was set on the path that lead to an alien city and the people in it becoming family. That fleece would always be associated with fond memories for John. Plus, John found Rodney looked particularly attractive in it. The bright color brought out the blue of his eyes and the material gently curved over Rodney's belly. The urge to touch Rodney's belly was always greater when it was wrapped in orange fleece.  
  
When the meeting finished, John took care to get up and pack his things slower than Rodney. He followed Rodney out, taking a moment to admire those broad shoulders, but didn't follow Rodney into the transporter. Instead, he took the turn that would lead to his office.  
  
+  
  
When John stopped by to get Rodney for lunch, Rodney was hunched over a laptop with Radek. Radek reached out and pointed to something on the screen and Rodney slapped his hand. John heard Rodney say something, but over the noise of the lab the words themselves were lost. Radek rolled his eyes in response.  
  
John leaned over Rodney, resting one hand on his back. Rodney, who had been completely focused on his computer screen, went still beneath John's hand.  
  
"Hey, Rodney," John said quietly. "Lunch time."  
  
"Oh," Rodney said. The back of his neck was turning pink. "Yes, right. Uh, Radek -"  
  
"Go. Eat. Perhaps it will make you less of a monster." Radek smiled at the both, blue eyes bright. John grinned back.  
  
"Just because I'm right and you're wrong -" Rodney began, even as he allowed John to pull him out of his chair and toward the door.  
  
"You are the one who will not listen to reason!"  
  
"- doesn't mean I'm a monster. Don't touch the laptop while I'm gone!" Rodney called, and then he was out the door, John's hand resting gently on his lower back.  
  
+  
  
John didn't see Rodney again until dinner that night, when he took the seat next to Rodney. He made sure to sit close enough that Rodney's arm brushed against his whenever he moved. Rodney's inadvertent touches left John flushed and almost giddy. Ronon and Teyla said nothing about it, though Teyla was smiling at him and Ronon looked amused. John could feel his ears turning pink and couldn't meet their eyes.  
  
Unfortunately, halfway through his food John's comm went off. Lorne was on the other end, requesting John's presence in the armory. This was right in the middle of another Rodney rant. Rodney was gesturing, face turning pink as he shared the horrors of looking after lab monkeys. Even his hair was getting into the act, fluffing up with indignation.  
  
"Are we still on for Doctor Who tonight, Sheppard?" Rodney asked, pausing his rant as John stood to leave. John smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. He rubs Rodney's shoulder with his thumb.  
  
"Sure," John said easily, ignoring Rodney's startled, baffled gaze. He waved at Ronon and Teyla as he left, Rodney's stare a gentle making the back of his neck feel hot.  
  
+  
  
When Rodney arrived, he was oddly quiet. John didn't push him to talk; he would talk when he was ready, and since silence wasn't Rodney's natural default state it was only a matter of time. Instead, John let him pick the movie, and they settled in the bed side by side. Rodney always put out a decent amount of heat and John could feel it, sitting inches from him as John was. He couldn't help but lean sideways until their shoulders and arms were pressed together. John sighed, pleased.  
  
"Okay, that's enough," Rodney said, and flailed to his feet. John nearly fell off the bed, catching himself with one hand on the edge.  
  
"Rodney, what -"  
  
"You have been staring and, and _touching_ all day! First at the meeting, and then you stopped by the lab for lunch, and then dinner - is something wrong? Are you dying? Are you leaving?"  
  
"I'm not dying, Rodney," John broke in, lips twitching. Rodney's habit of jumping to the worst case scenario was, on occasion, amusing. John stood and fought back the urge to ruffle Rodney's hair. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Rodney's wrist, dragging him back to the bed.  
  
"Touching, touching!" Rodney said, pointing to John's fingers wrapped around his wrist.  
  
"Imagine that," John said dryly, and shoved Rodney onto the bed. John settled in next to him, their arms brushing. Rodney was watching him suspiciously.  
  
"Not dying?" He repeated.  
  
"Not dying," John confirmed.  
  
"Are you leaving?"  
  
"Not that I'm aware of," John said, aware that his life here hung on the orders of the military.  
  
"Then why all the touching?"  
  
"Your fleece," John said, and stopped. He was aware he was acting kind of crazy and blaming it on a piece of clothing was not helping him create an impression of sanity. The truth was, John always wanted to touch Rodney. The fleece reminded John of the beginning, of how much time had passed since they had first met. John had been holding back from touching Rodney for nearly six years. With DADT gone and Atlantis back where it was supposed to be, perhaps it was time for John to try reaching out.  
  
If only he wasn't so bad at it.  
  
"My fleece?" Rodney responded blankly. "Oh."  
  
"It's soft," John offered, reaching out to run his hand from Rodney's shoulder down to his wrist. He plucked at the material. "Warm."  
  
Rodney stared at John for a moment before leaning away. John blinked, the beginnings of panic stirring in the pit of his stomach, until Rodney started tugging at the sleeves. He slipped his arms out and then pulled the jacket over his head. Rodney's shirt rode up and he tugged it back down absently, the tantalizing glimpse of pale skin disappearing beneath a t-shirt with [ _I'm Here Because You Broke Something_ ](http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e718/)  written on it .  It made Rodney's messy hair static and hilariously straight. John blinked when Rodney offered him the fleece.  
  
"You're cold," Rodney said, dropping the shirt in John's lap.  
  
"Uh," John responded. "Yeah, but that's not -"  
  
"You should put it on. I can just order myself a new one. Actually, give me that back, I'll order  _you_ one, I think orange would tarnish your aura of cool."  
  
"It wasn't the fleece," John blurted, and then shook his head. "It wasn't  just the fleece, I mean. It was you. In, in the fleece."  
  
Rodney frowned. "It took me wearing my old fleece for you to decide to make a move?"  
  
"Yeah," John said, embarrassed. He  _liked_ that fleece.  
  
"You are an idiot." Rodney declared, and leaned in to brush his lips against John's. John felt his lips curling into a smile even as he kissed back. John pressed close, the orange fleece falling from his lap and onto the floor, forgotten. They made out through an entire episode of Doctor Who until their lips began to feel chapped. When all the episodes on the disc played through, Rodney shut the laptop off and set it on the stand next to John's bed. John took this opportunity to slip into the orange fleece, and when Rodney complained he was cold, John rolled on top of him to keep him warm.  
  
"I'm still getting you your own fleece," Rodney murmured. John pressed his smile against Rodney's cheek, and for the first time since they landed on this planet, felt warm.


End file.
